Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Litigation can be costly, time-consuming, and unpredictable. Depending on your circumstances, alternative dispute resolution may be an advisable alternative to litigation. Arbitration and mediation allow parties to keep costs at a minimum, and they often allow parties to have their disputes resolved more quickly than typical litigation.

Appeals and Motions

The Sugarman Law Firm’s litigation and transactional practices are supported by the Appeals and Motions Practice Group. The Appeals and Motions Practice Group focuses on appellate practice and complex motion practice, and its attorneys specialize in legal research, legal writing, and oral advocacy.

Architects, Engineers, and Surveyors

The Sugarman Law Firm has the industry-specific knowledge, experience, and expertise that design professionals can trust to handle all their legal needs. We understand the unique risks design professionals face, and we can help minimize and manage them.

Business Planning and Litigation

With a diversity of experience representing business clients within both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, our attorneys provide a full range of legal services for our clients’ corporate and business needs.

Criminal Defense

Sugarman Law Firm is well positioned to serve individuals facing violation, misdemeanor, or felony criminal charges. Our criminal law department is made up of former prosecutors who have a critical understanding of how the district attorney's office operates and how criminal cases are put together by the police and the prosecution.

Family Law and Divorce

Our attorneys handle separation, divorce, custody and support issues, adoption and related family law matters. We start by listening to be sure we fully understand your particular circumstances so that we can develop a plan of action that best fits your needs.

General and Auto Liability Defense

For more than a century, Sugarman Law Firm has represented literally thousands of insureds and remains one of the oldest and largest insurance defense practices in Central New York.

Insurance Coverage Disputes and Litigation

The attorneys at the Sugarman Law Firm have represented both insurers and insureds in insurance coverage disputes and litigation. We provide coverage opinion letters to insurers, and prosecute and defend declaratory judgment actions.

Labor and Employment Law

The attorneys in the Sugarman Law Firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group represent both small and large employers with a wide variety of employment related issues. We handle all types of employment litigation, as well as employment negotiations.

Medical Professional Liability Defense

At the Sugarman Law Firm, we value our relationships with the physicians, nurses, chiropractors, and hospital administrators in Central New York. Because we value those relationships, we do not sue any treatment provider for medical malpractice, and we focus exclusively on defending physicians, hospitals, medical groups, and nursing homes.

Municipal and Governmental Defense

Because of their years of experience, the attorneys at the Sugarman Law Firm are familiar with the particular legal principles and procedural rules that apply to municipal subdivisions and authorities.

Personal Injury Claims

When someone is harmed, injured, or killed through the negligence of another, the Sugarman Law Firm offers aggressive and personal representation, regardless of the size of the claim.

Products Liability Claims

Our attorneys have the experience necessary to handle the complex issues that arise when accidents involving claims of defective design or manufacture of a product are made. The Sugarman Law Firm is read to provide representation at all stages of the process including initial analysis and investigation, identification of experts, discovery, negotiation and, when necessary, trial.

Professional Liability Defense

We have extensive experience defending malpractice claims. Our attorneys have the specific knowledge and experience necessary to handle the issues professionals face. We understand your practice and can help you recognize and manage the risks it presents. We represent architects and engineers, physicians, nurses and hospitals, as well as attorneys, accountants, insurance professionals and real estate professionals.

Real Estate Transactions and Litigation

Whether you are buying your first home or developing a multi-million dollar real estate project, the Sugarman Law Firm’s attorneys cans provide the legal representation you need. We represent real estate developers, buyers and sellers of homes, landlords and tenants, and homeowner’s associations, condominiums, and co-ops in a variety of situations.

Trusts, Estates, and Elder Law

A primary focus of the Sugarman Law Firm’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group is to help our clients achieve their estate planning goals and prepare the legal documents required to implement their objectives. We prepare wills, medical advance directives such as health care proxies and living wills, powers of attorney, shareholder agreements, prenuptial agreements, and both testamentary and living trusts.

Medical Professional Liability Defense

The Sugarman Law Firm has developed a close and long-standing relationship with Central New York’s medical community through its participation in charitable organizations, hospital boards, county medical societies, and through its representation of health care professionals.

At the Sugarman Law Firm, we value our relationships with the physicians, nurses, chiropractors, and hospital administrators in Central New York. Because we value those relationships, we do not sue any treatment provider for medical malpractice, and we focus exclusively on defending physicians, hospitals, medical groups, and nursing homes. As fellow professionals committed to helping others, the lawyers at the Sugarman Law Firm recognize that medical malpractice lawsuits can effect a professional’s practice, livelihood, personal life, and professional and personal standing in the community.

The Sugarman Law Firm regularly represents the Syracuse area’s most distinguished and experienced physicians and medical groups, and regularly retains skilled and experienced health care professionals to help us evaluate and defend all medical malpractice cases. When we defend a medical malpractice claim, our goal is to understand fully all aspects of the claim, from the medicine involved to the legal principles that will govern the case.

Although our main focus is to help our physician clients avoid litigation, our trial lawyers are highly-skilled and experienced litigators. We regularly retain skilled and experienced health care professionals to help us evaluate and defend all medical malpractice cases. Whether the claim alleges errors in diagnosis, surgical errors, lack of testing, improper medication, or inadequate care by a nursing home or hospital, we strongly believe that thorough preparation and open communication with our clients and consultants is the best way to ensure an equitable settlement or successful outcome at trial or on appeal.

Sugarman Law Firm also regularly represent physicians against claims brought by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct and the New York State Department of Health, and in licensure matters before those entities.

Mindful of the fact that, in addition to providing quality medical care, medical professionals are also businesspeople and individuals, the Sugarman Law Firm provides a range of other services to medical professionals. The Sugarman Law Firm can provide business counseling to hospitals, nursing homes, medical groups, and other health care providers, including counseling on business formation and dissolution, and equipment or office space leasing or purchase. The Sugarman Law Firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group is also available to draft and review employment contracts and non-compete agreements. We also specialize in estate planning for professionals.

The information on this site is not legal advice, it is Attorney Advertising intended to educate potential clients about their need for legal advice and assist them in obtaining a lawyer appropriate for those needs. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different and every person should consult a lawyer to asses their particular case. If you think our firm can assist you please contact us for a consultation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.